Original Painting "Windowsill Geraniums"

ACEO
Acrylic
Sold.

Original Acrylic Painting "Apple Tree Hill"

Original ACEO (2.5" x 3.5")
Acrylic
SOLD. $15.50

Original ACEO Painting "Dancing Trees"

Acrylic
ACEO 2.5" x 3.5"
I saw these trees one morning and loved how the pale yellow light was breaking through the dark blue cloudy sky from behind them. The trees had grown curving rather than straight which made them appear to be dancing and swaying....joyous to see the morning light. :)

Original Painting "Stillness" Stacked Rocks, Water, Pond, Nature

"Stillness"
Original Acrylic Painting
ACEO 2.5" X 3.5"
Sold.

In this painting I have tried to depict the contrasting textures of the grass, the rugged rocks, the smooth water and graceful willow branches; bringing them together to covey the perfect peace, tranquility and stillness of the scene.

Stacked rocks have been cropping up all over the landscape lately. While I was vacationing Bar Harbor, Maine, we saw stacked rocks in gardens, on trails, along property lines, in the mountains and in the towns. When I returned to New Hampshire, I started noticing them here too. We stopped at country art gallery on Mt. Desert Island. They had several along the edge of their parking area. I asked what they signify. I was told they use them as markers on trails to guide hikers. I was also told that they are suppose to ward off evil and bring good luck. I read that stacked rocks represent balance.

Whatever the meaning, I find them intriguing. I especially like the contrast when they are standing in front of water. I think I will paint a larger version of this one too.

"Porch Garden" Hanging Baskets, Flowers, Vines Original Painting

"Porch Garden" SOLD
Acrylic Painting
2.5" x 3.5" ACEO

"Summer Hill" New Hampshire Countryside Meadow Apple Tree Wildflowers Original Painting

"Summer Hill"
Original Acrylic ACEO Painting
SOLD $30.
Prints Available


This is another scene of New Hampshire's beautiful, scenic, countryside. I drove by this just this morning, on Tilton Hill and felt inspired to paint it. Painting an art card is a great way to get my frequent inspirations onto paper right away and get some practice with the subject. I'll do a larger painting later. I think I'll do this more often.

Original ACEO Painting "Mountain Path"

"Mountain Path" SOLD
Acrylic

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO

I painted this little ACEO as a vignette for a larger painting.
A shaded path seems to lead to the mountain. This was the beautiful view of Mt. Chocorua, from where I stayed while I was in Conway, New Hampshire.

Autumn in New Hampshire "Albany Covered Bridge" Original Painting

Albany Covered Bridge
8" x 8" Acrylic Painting
Commission

I now have prints, framed prints, canvas prints, and greeting cards available of this painting, on my website: Sandra Estes Fine Art .

This is the 4th of 5 commissions depicting New Hampshire.

The last 2 commissions are for specific places along the Kancamagus Highway, the covered bridge and the river along the Kanc. I did a bit of research and found that it is the Albany Covered Bridge that is just off the Kancamagus on Dugway Rd., and the Swift River that runs along the Kancamagus. I decided to take a field trip to the Kanc to get a better feel for the subjects and take my own reference photos.

These are my reference photos of the Albany Covered Bridge:





Unfortunately, I went in the late afternoon/early evening so there were long shadows. Another challenge was to change the season from summer to autumn.

The couple who commissioned the paintings are from New Hampshire, but now live happily down South and do not miss our long, cold New Hampshire winters. They have a fondness for white birch trees, which do not grow in the South. So, I used a bit of artistic license and changed the trees to the left of the bridge to birch trees.

New Hampshire's "Old Man Of The Mountain" Original Painting

"Old Man Of The Mountain"
Commission SOLD
8" x 8" Acrylic on canvas

"Secret Garden Papillon" Original ACEO Miniature Painting

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO Acrylic
"Secret Garden Papillon"
SOLD

Original Painting "Goldfinch In The Garden"

2.5" x 3.5" ACEO
Acrylic on matboard
A miniature painting of a bright yellow American Goldfinch perched on a branch in the garden.

"Storybook Garden Pig" Original Acrylic Painting

5"x7" acrylic on canvas
Prints available.

This painting reminds me of the illustrated storybooks of my childhood. A farmyard pig has found a cool shaded garden in front of a wooden fence. A chicken sitting atop the fence seems to be keeping a close eye on the pig.

"Rose Arbor Swing" Pastoral New Hampshire Countryside Original Painting

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas.
Commission. Original in private collection.
Prints available.

Yellow climbing roses covering an arbor swing in a pastoral, scenic New Hampshire setting, with mountains in the distance, birch trees, stone walls and flowers.

This is the 2nd of 5 commissioned paintings depicting New Hampshire. They requested that one painting have yellow roses. We discussed having the yellow roses climbing an arbor, so they sent a photo of their arbor swing. So now the challenge was painting the arbor swing with climbing yellow roses in a New Hampshire setting.


These are the reference photos I used. The 2nd photo is one I took while driving along a scenic road in the NH countryside.

"Lilacs By The Barn" Original Acrylic Painting

8"x8" Acrylic on canvas.
Commission. Original in private collection.
Prints available.

This painting is a typical New Hampshire scene in the spring. A sunlit path, through an old stone wall, leads you by a beautiful, Lilac bush in full bloom, and to an old weathered, cedar-shingled barn with a wooden door and granite slab steps. Wildflowers grace one side of the entrance and an old milk can adds to the welcoming.

This is the first of five commissioned paintings depicting New Hampshire scenes. I am very excited about this commission as it gives me the opportunity to paint something dear to my heart that I've always wanted to paint, but have not managed to get around to! :)

My Inspiration:
Lilacs are the New Hampshire State Flower, and were in full bloom a couple of weeks ago. It seems like every house has at least one lilac bush. There are Lilacs everywhere! While driving on a New Hampshire country road one morning, I spotted a barn similar to this with Lilacs nearby, which was my inspiration for this painting.

"Sailboats At Twilight" Original Pastel Painting

8" x 10"Original Pastel painting on pastel paper

In this calming pleasant water scene, three sailboats glide gracefully on the water. The reflections of the sunlit sails casts a warm yellow glow in the water as the sun is low in the sky. The scene is framed by overhanging branches, the warm path that leads to the shore edged in low growing bushes.